(CNN) - A top adviser to President Barack Obama's re-election campaign said Monday that Republicans' enthusiasm for the newly named vice presidential pick Paul Ryan echoed the fervor that met Sarah Palin when she was selected by Sen. John McCain in 2008 to join the GOP ticket.

"There's no doubt that I think the appointment thrilled the base of the Republican party, the tea party Republicans, the social conservatives. Because Congressman Ryan is a certifiable right winger," David Axelrod said on CBS Monday.

"I saw that excitement four years ago when John McCain appointed Sarah Palin as well," Axelrod continued. "There were huge crowds, much of the same kind of reaction. I don't think it worked out very well. When the reality catches up with the moment, it's not going to be a plus for Gov. Romney."

Palin herself had little to say to her 2012 counterpart in a statement Sunday, released nearly twelve hours after Mitt Romney made his running mate announcement.

"Congratulations to Mitt Romney on his choice of Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate," Palin wrote in the statement, which mentioned Romney's name only four times and Ryan's name only three out of over 1,100 words. The statement was posted on her Facebook page.

Palin – then largely unknown outside of her home state of Alaska - was named to the GOP ticket in August 2008. While met initially with adoring crowds, she subsequently stumbled in interviews and on the stump.

On Sunday, Axelrod hammered Ryan as a "right wing ideologue" on CNN's "State of the Union," telling Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley that his ideas on the budget and social issues were well outside the American mainstream.

"He's quite extreme. A good person, a genial person, but his views are quite harsh," Axelrod said.

soundoff(286 Responses)

ART

At least with Palin when she does and says idiotic things you can overlook them cause you know she just isn't that smart . This guy is smart but just a hatefull person who doesn't give a damn about working class America

August 13, 2012 01:22 pm at 1:22 pm |

WhereIsPalin

All you Romney/Ryan supporters better not be part of the middle class. You'll have only yourself to blame.

August 13, 2012 01:29 pm at 1:29 pm |

Obama - Four years of Lying, Four years of Failure

ART - This guy is smart but just a hatefull person who doesn't give a damn about working class America
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"hateful"??? What hateful things has he ever said? I've never heard a single one. The guy is extremely polite and respectful no matter what he discusses with whom. The truth is more like you have never heard him speak and know nothing about him but are just mimicking the lefties and their hate filled rhetoric. You might want to educate yourself.

Now if you want to see a TRULY hateful person, check out Debbie Wasserman Schutlz! That is the definition of a hateful person.

August 13, 2012 01:30 pm at 1:30 pm |

Timmy Suckle

I kissed my way up to VP at a health insurance company. Now I take over $500,000 of your health care dollars for NO VALUE ADDED to your health care. And that’s just me. Now think about how many other VPs, Directors, Managers, etc. are at my company alone. Now multiply that by thousands of others at hundreds of other health insurance companies. From 10 to 25% of your health care dollars go towards administration that adds NO VALUE to your health care. But my company’s PAC dollars will continue to fool you little people into thinking that a single payer system will be bad. Little people like you are so easy to fool. Little people also don’t realize that a single payer system is the ONLY system that would allow little people (as an entire country) to negotiate better health care prices. Little people don’t realize that the Medical Cartels already know that. And that is the reason why the Medical Cartels spend so much PAC money from the hospitals and doctors lobbying against a single payer system. Some little people say that a single payer system would cost you little people more. But if that were true, then wouldn’t the hospitals and doctors WANT that extra money? Yes they would. So why do the Medical Cartels lobby against a single payer system? It’s because the Medical Cartels know it would allow little people to negotiate better health care prices. And that’s what the Medical Cartels are afraid of. Period.
But us big wigs at insurance companies, hospitals, and pharmacy companies don’t ever need to worry about health care no matter what it costs. We get our health care paid for one way or another by you little people. And we get the little people that work at our companies to contribute to our PACs. And us big wigs say it’s to protect the little peoples’ jobs. But in reality it would be in the little peoples’ best interest to NOT contribute to the PAC. Again, little people are so easy to be fooled. I won’t ever have to worry about losing my job with so many little people being brain washed by the Medical Cartels’ PAC money. Not only that, the Medical Cartels’ PAC money is used to elect so many republicans that will never allow a single payer system. Republicans have always fought against any meaningful health care reform. But that’s what our Medical Cartels’ PACs pay them for. Politicians can be bought so easily.
Pretty soon the only people that will be able to afford health care is us big wigs. And that’s the way it should be. We don’t want you little people using up the resources when we need them. And once again, I thank you little people for capping my SS tax at the $106,800 level. Now I only pay 1.3% SS tax and you little people pay 6.2%. Also, thank you for extending my tax breaks. I’m using the extra money on my vacation houses.

August 13, 2012 01:30 pm at 1:30 pm |

rs

Time for Real Change!-

You know as a Democrat I hated the "Tax and spend" monicker, but you know the more one thinks about it, it is way better than the GOP's "cut taxes and spend"."Tax and spend" at least infers a budgeting process based upon revenues taken in. Look at what the GOP has done: cut taxes (and revenues); held two off-book wars; gleefully engaged in deficit spending (that Mr. Ryan approved while in Congress) that ultimately crashed the economy, and now they want the poor and middle class to pay for even more wealthy welfare? Crazyness.
The GOP has lost its mind.

August 13, 2012 01:30 pm at 1:30 pm |

levi

This guy is so far right that he is wrong.

August 13, 2012 01:31 pm at 1:31 pm |

blue19

It's laughable that Ryan says they'll unite the country when the tea parters won't even work with anybody, Republican or Democrat, that they see as a moderate. The Tea Party Mantra is "my way or my way" and nothing will be done unless they get their way, regardless of the impact on the country. Somehow Ryan expects that implementing Bush's failed policy of tax cuts for the wealthy and the rest of the econmy will look after itself.

August 13, 2012 01:32 pm at 1:32 pm |

1twinswin

So, how many years of tax returns did Paul Ryan have to give Mitt?

August 13, 2012 01:32 pm at 1:32 pm |

Claudia, Houston, Tx

@Richard T and ART
The GOP won't explain "trickle down economics" because they know the only thing that "trickles down is water". When it comes to the "Numbers" involved in economics you have never heard Palin join in that discussion because that's not her forte, it's too complicated for her and Ryan's so-called budget plan is no more than a predator plan against America's most volunerable citizens.

August 13, 2012 01:32 pm at 1:32 pm |

Alger Dave

Please, to compare Palin in 2008 to Ryan today doesn't pass the straight face test! Palin was green in 2008, and Ryan could probably out-debate Obama today.
Obama, the media and most liberals are very scared about this VP pick, as it finally is a bold move pulled by the Romney campaign, which appeared to be dying a slow death before this. They'll bash him on his budget plans, but Ryan gets it – when you borrow 1 out of every 3 dollars you spend (Obama and the current budget), something needs to give. The tweak-it-around-the-corners crowd (read Obama and the liberals, if they even want to cut anything at all) doesn't apparently understand you can't live on more than you make. Even raising taxes on wealthy Americans couldn't come close to fixing our problems today or into the future. Nothing but a wholesale restructuring of the fiscal plans for our country will prepare us for the future. This is not a rich vs. poor thing, it's a rational vs. dreamer thing. Most Republicans are not rich, they just want to see the country on a solid fiscal footing. If you don't think it's a big deal – look at Europe! You cannot borrow your way to prosperity.

August 13, 2012 01:32 pm at 1:32 pm |

Brooke

Ryan is not that smart.......How is it smart to destroy the middle class. He just had the balls to put it out there because the others did not. But this is not smart. Ryan is a no body. If you can not see what is really going on here than you are crazy. The GOP will destroy our country and Ryan is not fit. Come on People what would he do when he received a call at 3 am ??????? This is serious business and Ryan is not the one. Mitt and Ryans needs to go back home....

August 13, 2012 01:32 pm at 1:32 pm |

Loopman

Ryan will be just another do-nothing Repub, made in the mold of his partner in crime, Mittens. A couple of rich right wingers on a mission to destroy the middle class through total inaction. That's what the right wingers do now. They've found that they can't do anything right so they just choose to do nothing at all. That way they can't be blamed for doing something wrong. Easy-Peasy!! Meanwhile, the rest of the country goes down the old crapper and they stand off to the side, confident in the fact that they can honestly state, "I didn't do anything to cause that". We should can the whole lot of these jack-wagons and put people of action in their place. Dems and Repubs alike. They are supposed to be working for us since we elected them. Now, it's the tail wagging the dog!!

August 13, 2012 01:33 pm at 1:33 pm |

REG in AZ

Good comparison but only in the excitement generated for the Republican campaign – that is where the likeness ends. Ryan is more refined, more class and quality and obviously more intelligent – the trouble is that while his demeanor is far more acceptable his radical ideas or maybe better said biased ideas (strongly favoring "the money") are just as alienating as Palin's loud, boisterous, self-focused and undisciplined behavior. What is needed, as was with Palin, is for the people to learn more, to come to understand the truth without the hype.

August 13, 2012 01:34 pm at 1:34 pm |

nagrom

You got that right ART. I just hope the people will come out and support Obama for an additional term or this country is heading for complete disaster. Under Romney/Ryan there will be two classes in this country. The poor and the rich. The middle class will be completely wiped out.

August 13, 2012 01:35 pm at 1:35 pm |

Too Much

Paul Ryan is nothing like Sarah Palin. Whether or not you agree with his philosophy or not, he is a very smart person and not nearly as self-absorbed as Palin who will do anything for money and fame.

August 13, 2012 01:38 pm at 1:38 pm |

Ancient Texan

Nagrom- Nobody has done more to wipe out the middle class than Obama has done in the last 3 1/2 years.

August 13, 2012 01:41 pm at 1:41 pm |

Dnick47

Naw Mr. Axelrod you've got it wrong: HE's WORSE!!!

August 13, 2012 01:42 pm at 1:42 pm |

Lobo

The librals are comparing apples to potatoes. they are sacred. and they are trying to slamb r/r because they have a epic fail on their hands and are tryin to sugar coat that fact. they had 2 years of clear sailing and did nothing to help get out of the hole we were in. now the hole is bigger and the dynamic duo has a plan and it will help the country instead of just the party supporters. think of the old sayin what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular. the country elected a popular person and he failed and let the country down. now let someone try and fix this mess so the american dream can rise again.

August 13, 2012 01:43 pm at 1:43 pm |

David

Romney/Ryan not good for our future.

August 13, 2012 01:45 pm at 1:45 pm |

No-surprise

@ART...

You need to check you facts... Obama has never run a business, only voted "Present" when in office, and based upon his record for the past 3 – 1/2 years – has ruin this country.

Empty 401K's don't lie

Home foreclosers don't lie

Unemployed or under employed percentages don't lie

Highest debt and lowered finacial ratings don't lie.

Democrate controlled Senate not passing a budget in over 3 years, is the turth.

And the list goes on....

Start paying attention to the facts abour BHO. And, by the way, what value add has Joe "Gaff" Biden been for America? What a joke... I'm surprised BHO didn't dump him for 2012 race. May be that will be the October surprise.... BHO and A-rod will do anything to win... Just watch....

@ Timmy Suckle....Haha! Spot on. But look at how many jobs you're going to create by using your tax break dollars to have your vacation houses built. It works! Trickle-down works!

August 13, 2012 01:45 pm at 1:45 pm |

the_dude

At least Paul Ryan isn't a total idiot like Biden.

August 13, 2012 01:47 pm at 1:47 pm |

rs

Obama 2012- Anyone who wants to bring poverty back to the elderly, or to destroy the middle class, or take healthcare away from the less-than-well to do is hateful AND immoral.

August 13, 2012 01:47 pm at 1:47 pm |

Obama - Four years of Lying, Four years of Failure

Claudia, Houston, Tx - The GOP won't explain "trickle down economics" because they know the only thing that "trickles down is water".
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Instead of waiting for anything to trickle down to you why don't you start climbing the ladder of success and get it yourself? Are you all just too fat or too lazy? I know of NOBODY that hasn't had a decent life in this country that has worked for it, saved and didn't do stupid things with their life.

August 13, 2012 01:48 pm at 1:48 pm |

Wilson

The comments coming from the left are getting more and more desperate, which makes for some entertaining reading. Ryan was a good choice, probably will ensure Romney gets elected.